From the June 26th meeting of the Board of Wahkiakum County
Commissioners official minutes:

Historic Skamokawa Creek Project

Darin Houpt informed the board that Diking District No. 5
has received a letter from the Washington Department of Natural Resources
wherein DNR states the recently constructed inlet water control structure at
the head of the historic channel is located on state-owned aquatic lands and
they are requesting the diking district pay to the DNR the appraised value of
the lands. Diking District No.5
Commissioner Michael Linn advised that he has met with the prosecuting attorney
and he will try to negotiate this matter with DNR

Internationally
renowned kayaking coach and Columbia River Kayaking founder Ginni
Callahan returns home to Skamokawa, WA to offer just one kayaking course
in North America this year. "Babes in Boats" June 29 through July 1,
can be taken as a 1, 2, or 3-day event. “Babes” is a
lighthearted approach to kayaking safety, efficiency, grace, and power,
particularly tailored for women.

Callahan is one of the
most highly certified coaches in the US, of either gender, backed by
both the BCU and the American Canoe Association. She has coached
paddlers across the US, in Mexico, and Australia. Students
have come to her from Chile, Tasmania, Sweden, Canada, and Venezuela.
Only 2 other women in the US have achieved the world's highest
Leadership Award, the British Canoe Union's 5-star.

It’s
Callahan’s genial nature that makes her classes so popular, coupled
with an eye for detail and a knack for making some challenging skills
approachable. Callahan says, “Most instructors talk about rotating your
body, and using the core to power the kayak. We do drills on land and
identify what that actually feels like. Some games make
people laugh, but they really do get folks to engage those larger muscle
groups and feel it. Get back in the kayak, and you now
know what you’re shooting for. Paddling with your core helps reduce
injury and leaves you more energy for the long haul.”

CRK co-owner Katie Beck is an enthusiastic
up & coming coach and a popular guide well loved for her humor and
playful spirit. More information about the course and Columbia River
Kayaking can be had by emailing info@columbiariverkayaking.com,
or by calling 360-849-4016

Wahkiakum County will receive five hundred and five thousand dollars in a new program for small counties in Washington to compensate them for taking forest lands out of timber production.

Yesterday, the state Board of Natural Resources approved the transfer of 67 acres of State Forest Trust land in Wahkiakum County to conservation status. It is the first transaction under a legislatively funded program created in 2009 to replace certain state-owned working forestlands encumbered by federal endangered species restrictions.

The program targets small, economically stressed rural counties that depend heavily on timber revenue to support public services.
In a statement, Peter Goldmark, Commissioner of Public Lands, said quote: “This is the first of several land transfers that will provide small, timber-dependent counties like Wahkiakum with needed dollars,” “These transactions help counties weather the financial impacts of important federal wildlife protections.”

The parcel is among the several thousand acres of forestland that the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages in Wahkiakum County.

Dan Cothren, Wahkiakum County Commissioner, told the Capital Press that quote: “Our county relies on timber revenues from State Forest Trust lands, but it is clear that this parcel will not be harvested anytime soon. The funding this transfer will provide is huge for Wahkiakum County because our budgets have been hit hard by low timber prices in recent years.”

Following the transfer of the parcel into conservation status, DNR will use $27,000 of the legislative appropriation – reflecting the parcel’s land value – to purchase replacement working forestland elsewhere in Wahkiakum County.
DNR will manage the 67-acre parcel as a Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA).

The parcel was determined to be occupied by marbled murrelets, a threatened sea bird that nests inland in old trees.

The Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners is seeking individuals who wish to be appointed as a Commissioner on the Wahkiakum County Diking District No. 5 board. Two positions are vacant: Position No. 1’s term ends February 2014; and Position #3’s term ends February 2016. Applicants must own property and be a qualified voter within the diking district.

The Diking District Board of Commissioners shall have the power, and it shall be their duty, to manage and conduct the business and affairs of the district; make and execute all necessary contracts, employ and appoint such agents, officers and employees as may be required, and prescribe their duties, and perform such other acts as hereinafter provided by law. (RCW 85.05.010)

Update: The Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners appointed Mike Linn of Skamokawa to the position.